Alexander Shlemenko: “It is unacceptable for me to call myself a Russian”

“I don’t like the word ‘Russian’ – I like the word ‘Russian’ better,” Storm said in an interview with the channel “Ushataika”. “We have a multinational Russian people. I believe it is right to call it that. If someone likes to call himself a Russian, let him call himself a Russian. I will never call myself a Russian. For me it is unacceptable

“A Russian is someone who thinks and speaks Russian. And Caucasians, and Buryats, they all have their own language, but what language do we communicate in? Where do we live? Our home is Russia, and we communicate in Russian. If we did not have the Russian language, we would simply not understand each other. The same Dagestan is like a small Russia – there are thirty-six nationalities and they have different languages. And in what language do they communicate with each other? In Russian. Because all our lives, at all times, this was what united us into one fist of strength. And we need to remember it

In July of this year, Alexander Shlemenko put his career back on track by finishing former UFC fighter Alex Oliveira with a guillotine choke in the first round at SFC 8 in Omsk. In doing so, “Storm” closed out his loss to Magomed Ismailov, to whom he lost by unanimous decision at RCC 13 in Ekaterinburg last December.